Troubleshooting email issues

Here is a list of things to look into when you encounter a problem with emails.

Error Messages

First and foremost, if you receive an error message, copy it down. This is the best way to diagnose a problem. If it says that your username and password is wrong, it is probably because that is true. You would consequently re-enter the information or reset your email password. If the error is cryptic, but there is an error number, such as the Outlook error 0X8004201A, do a quick search on the web for that error number and read up what the issue might be.

Configuration Issues

More often than not, when you first setup an email, the problems you will encounter are due to misconfiguration. Always recheck your configurations and make sure they are accurate. See the email configuration article for more details: How to Configure Email Accounts.

Bounce Back Emails

If you send out emails and they come back to you with an bounce back message, that means the email did not reach its destination and there is some kind of problem. Here are some examples of types of messages you might encounter:

No such user: the email you are trying to reach does not exist. Check with the person you are trying to reach if you have the correct spelling.

Blacklist mention / Reputation: Look at the IP listed. Is it the Panelbox server IP or your ISP's? Contact the IP provider consequently.

24, 48 or 72 hour delay and attempted delivery stopped: the server you are trying to reach did not respond. The domain might not be active. Check if the domain exists.

If you cannot figure it out with the error message received, contact our support team by opening an assistance ticket. You would have to copy the bounce back message including its full email header.

Testing and Diagnostics

Here are several ways to make tests for emails.

Webmail as a Diagnostic Tool

Most of us use mail clients such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Mail, etc., for sending/receiving emails. When we encounter errors in these applications, the best way to make tests is to avoid these application, and turn to the web. Your first question in diagnosing an email issue is: Can I replicate this on the Webmail?

Log into your webmail with your full email address and its password. The Webmail link format is: http://yourdomain.tld/webmail

Send an email from an external email address (another company, hotmail, gmail, etc.) to the one with the problem ;

Note down any bad behaviour from these tests when using the Webmail. If you have not been able to replicate the issue you were experiencing on your computer with your mail client, the problem is not related to the server but locally to your computer settings.

Telnet

When you encounter Timeouts or Connection issues to the mail server, you might want to attempt a Telnet connection from your computer. This will allow you to determine if the mail server port is blocked when you attempt to connect to it, or if the server responds.

Under Windows

Open a Command Prompt (Start > Run > type in "cmd" without the quotation marks

In the terminal window type: telnet s###.panelboxmanager.com 110 ->

Replace ### with the Panelbox server name on which you are hosted.

Hit "Enter" on the Keyboard

If it answers "+OK Dovecot ready." You were able to establish a connection, which is a good thing

If it times out or gives a connection error, it means the server is unreachable.

Do the same test but use port 25 instead of 110 in the line so you can test the connection to the outgoing mail server instead.

Under Mac OS

The only difference in the procedure is to open a Terminal Window which is found: Applications > Utilities > Terminal

If the connection is established, the problem might be related to the server. If the connection failed, it might be due to a Firewall / Anti-virus on your computer blocking you. Consequently, your Webmail tests should be positive